Umbrella



April 7, 1953 w. WEAKLEND UMBRELLA I Filed Dec. 30, 1948 INVENTOR. Wm A. fl edk/a/id 1 RNEK Patented Apr. 7, 1953 um'rso UMBRELLA,

WalterLaWealilend Platte@ity; Mo'.,-assignor.- to

Ro'ckledge; Manufacturing Company; a corporation of Missouri:

Application'flecember 30, 1914s, Serial.No. ,.68',1il9.

The present invention relatesi n general to umbrellas and it deals more particularly with the construction and arrangement of articulated parallelogram linkages for off-setting the urnbrella'canopy. or cover fromthe" main post or pedestal".

The primary object of the invention is to provide an umbrella wherein the canopy or'shelteringcover can be centered on the main postor may be ofi-setvarying distances from the main post. i i

To this end it isan object of the invention to provide in. the umbrella shaft an articulated par allelogram linkageof: improved form, which linkage is simple and compact in construction, sturdy and efficient in operation and relatively inexpen siveto manufacture.

Another object is to provide apositive stop means limiting the extent of movement of theparallel links carried by the main post of the umbrella; a further object-is toprovide a simple but. efficient arrangement for locking said parallel links different off-set positions relative tothe main post.

Other and further objects together with the features of novelty whereby the objects. are achieved will appear. in the course ofthe foll'ow ing description of the invention;

Inthe accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and are" to: be read inconjunction therewith, and in which like refer--- encehumerals areemployedto indicate like parts of the various views, 7

Fig. 1 is a side elevational viewshowing the umbrellain raised position. the fabric, covering of the canopy having been omitteddor the"- sake.

of clarity; the vertical or. central. position of the umbrella head is shown in solid lines and the off-set position is shown in dotted lines,

' Fig. 2 is a side elevational View showing the umbrella in lowered position and turned about its vertical axis 90 from its Fig. 1- position;

p the arrows,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross section taken through the; parallel arms showing a modified form of connection therebetween.

Referringmore particularly to the drawings, the umbrella. has a stem or' post divided into threesections. The elongated lower section l0. and the; shortyupper section 12. aretubular, while the intermediate section is composed of a pair of parallelb'ars or links ['4 and" i6. It will be" noted that the barsare pivoted: to yokes I8 and I9 by means of bolts or'pins 20; the upper yoke being formed" by" flattening the end of tube l0.

and the lower yoke being; aseparate channel"- shaped" member welded" or otherwise rigidly, afiixed to the upper end of tube It.

The two upper'pivot pins and the two lower pins define the four'corners of an articulated parallelogram; thus, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1*, when thebars or links are pivoted to an. inclined position, they maintain tube I2 parallel to post I'O so that it remains upright but off-set from the main post;

In their vertical position bars ['4 and iii are spaced very closely together and preferably abut one another; As theypivot downwardly to the right: (see-Fig. 1') it will be clear that the space between the bars tends to gradually increase until: they reach a position perpendicular to the: line X--X' passing through the pivots. 20. At that position, the distance between them is at maximum and further downward movement gradually brings the bars close together, again.

Accordingf to the invention the angle Y is greater than 45"; which causes the space between.

possible for them to. descend. enough further toreach and. pass. through. horizontal position this maintains the open umbrella canopy at all times above. the topof post I0, eliminating the possibility of. the fabric being torn or the umbrella.

otherwise being injured by the top of the post as might accidentally occur if the bars or links could drop below horizontal position.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that the bars l4 and [6 can swing in an are between a vertical position and a predetermined inclined position, the latter preferably being at from point of the two bars and it will be evident that. these points on the respective bars shift axially of one another as the bars swing up or down about their pivots. Each bar has a series of notches 23 under the plate which extends over it from the other bar, the respective plates having tongues 30 adapted to seat in the notches. In

order to clamp the two plates together and thus prevent the bars from shifting axially relative;

one another, a bolt 3| is screwed into a tapped hole in plate 26, its shank extending through a passageway between the bars provided by the cut-out portions 32 and 34 and through an elongated slot 36 in plate 24.

Preparatory to changing the pitch or angle of the bars, bolt 3| is loosened, and after the change is made, it is retightened with the tongues 30 seated in a different set of notches 28; this once more makes it impossible for the bars to travel axially relative to one another and accordingly their adjusted angular position relative the post I cannot change.

Fig. '7 shows a modified arrangement for looking the bars l4 and [6 in adjusted position. This comprises a series of tapped holes 38 inone of the bars, located at approximately the mid-point of the bar. A thumb screw 40 carried by the other bar shifts from one hole 38 to the next as the bars shift axially during adjustment of angle of their inclination, and the thumb screw can be advanced into any one of the holes 38 to lock the bars in adjusted position.

The canopy or cover of the umbrella is more or less conventional and need not be described in detail. Briefly, its frame work comprises ribs 42 hin edly connected to the upper end of the short post l2. E'ach rib has a support or stay 44 having one end hinged to the associated rib at- 46 and the other end hinged to a sleeve 48 encircling the post. umbrella the sleeve is supported 'by a spring latching member 50; this may be depressed'to permit sleeve 48 to pass downwardly over the latching member thereby to lower the umbrella as shown in Fig. 2.

.From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth as well as other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the apparatus.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

Inasmuch as many possible embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shownin the In the raised condition'of the' 4 accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In an umbrella, an articulated parallelogram with posts forming two opposite sides thereof and links forming the remaining two sides, the links pivoted to each post at points disposed along a line diagonal of the axis of the post, a connecting device carried by one of the links, the other link having a series of sockets the different ones of which register with said connecting device in different positions of the links, and means for advancing said device into any one of said sockets .thereby to prevent axial shifting of the links relative to one another.

2. An umbrellaas in claim 1 wherein said device comprises a screw threaded member and said sockets are threaded to receive said member.

3. In J an umbrella, an articulated parallelogram with posts forming two opposite sides thereof and elongated links forming the remaining two sides, the links pivoted to each post at points disposed along a line diagonal to the axis of the post, the longitudinal axes of said links being in the same vertical plane, a pair of plates on opposite sides of said plane, each disposed in lateral bridging relationship beside the respective links, means for drawing said plates together to clamp said links therebetween, thereby to prevent axial shifting of the links relative to one another, at

least one of said plates being integral with one of said links, the other linkhaving a series of axially spaced notches under said one plate, and a projection on said one plate adapted to seat in any one of said notches when said plates are drawn toward one another.

4. In an umbrella, an articulated parallelogram with posts forming two opposite sides thereof and elongate links forming the remaining twosides, the links pivoted to each post at points disposed along a line diagonal to the axis of the post, the longitudinal axes of said links being in the same vertical plane, a pair of plates on opposite sides of said plane each disposed in lateral bridging relationship beside the respective links, one of said plates being integral with one of said links and the other plate being integral with the other link, and means for drawing said plates together to clamp said links therebetween, thereby to prevent axial shifting of the links relative to one another.

- WALTER L. WEAKLEND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

: UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

